European Chemicals Agency


Headquarters in Helsinki
Agency overview
Formed1 June 2007 (2007-06-01)
TypeRegulatory Agency of the European Union
HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
60°09′29″N 24°55′57″E / 60.1581°N 24.9325°E / 60.1581; 24.9325
Employees600
Agency executive
  • Sharon McGuinness, Executive Director
Key document
Websiteecha.europa.eu Edit this at Wikidata

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA; /ˈɛkə/ EK) is an agency of the European Union working for the safe use of chemicals. It manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). ECHA is the driving force among regulatory authorities in implementing the EU's chemicals legislation. ECHA has to ascertain that companies comply with the legislation, advances the safe use of chemicals, provides information on chemicals and addresses chemicals of concern. It is located in Helsinki, Finland. ECHA is an independent and mature regulatory agency established by REACH. It is not a subsidiary entity of the European Commission.[1]

The agency, currently headed by Executive Director Dr Sharon McGuinness,[2] started working on 1 June 2007.

  1. ^ Führ, Martin; Schenten, Julian (2020). "Industrial Chemicals in the Regulatory Laboratory: Self-responsibility and Inclusive Governance". Research Handbook on EU Environmental Law. pp. 344–363. doi:10.4337/9781788970679.00033. ISBN 9781788970679. S2CID 225777363.
  2. ^ "Organisation". echa.europa.eu. Retrieved 10 May 2022.